Toy water-mill.



.Patented June 1, 1909,

I 'l -y/Z 5020'I Q Lw e (g Qa a @e ir. & R. GAUBB.

TOY WATER MILL.

i APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 24, 1908.

rT TTTYVTTTTTTI N TH: NoRRIs PETERS cm. wAsmNwaN, n. c.

JOSEF GAUBE AND RUDOLF GAUBE, OF DRESDEN, GERMANY.

TOY WATER-MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune 1, 1909.

Application led August 24, 1908. Serial N o. 450,103.

To all 'whom 'it may concern.:

Be it known that we, JOSEF GAUBE and RUDOLF GAUBE, subjects of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and residing at Dresden, in Saxony, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Water- Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toy water mills and has for its obj ect to provide in toys of such character a novel pumping mechanism and novel indicator mechanism operable when the supply of water is nearly exhausted.

The structural details will be set forth in the following description which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred and advantageous embodiment of the invention while the novelty of the invention will be defined in the claims appended at the end of this specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a toy water mill constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of such a mill. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof and Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

Similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The operating elements are assembled in a casing 1 which is ornamental and is in the form of a mill. Within the lower part of the casing is mounted a bellows 2 which constitutes a lower water tank and forms an element of the novel pumping mechanism above referred to. Within the upper part of the casing is supported a tank 12, into which water is pumped from the said bellows in a manner to be described. The water in the tank 12 Hows along an inclined trough 13 supported exteriorly of the casing 1 and having suitable communication with said tank. The water discharges from the trough 13 against the vanes of the mill wheel 14, thereby rotating the latter. The mill wheel 14 takes its bearings in onel of the side walls of the casing 1 and in an exterior tank 15 supportedat one side of said casing. The tank 15 is formed with a lateral and inwardly extending trough 16 which projects through an opening in the adjacent side wall of the casing 1 and by means of which the water the tank 15 is returned into the tank 2 in a manner to be described. The bellows 2 is provided centrally thereof with a vertical frame 8 which forms a bearing for a hollow pump body 3, the latter having projecting guide pins 6 which work in suitable slots 7 in the frame 8. The pump body 3 has its lower wall formed with a central perforation which registers with a similar perforation in the upper wall of the tank 2.

Adjacent the erforation in the lower wall of the pum bo y 3 a check valve 4 is provided whici opens on the downward stroke of the pump body 3 to admit water into the tank 2 and which closes on the upward stroke of the pump body 3 to prevent the return of the water into the tank 2. The pump body 3 is provided with a pi e 5 which projects axially-from the top wa l of said pump body and through a central flanged opening in the tank 12. The top wall of the pump body 3 is provided with a central perforation which registers with the tube 5. The ump body 3 is held normally in an elevated position as governed by the height of the slots 7 by means of retractile coil springs 22 which are secured to said pump body and to the bottom wall of the tank 12. ln order to operate the pump body 3 downwardly against the tension of the springs 22 a lever 9 is employed, the latter having an open central portion corresponding in contour to the shape of the pump body 3, surrounding the same and pivotally connected thereto. The lever 9 is pivoted at its inner end as at 10 to one of the side walls ofthe casing 1 and its outer end as 11, extends through a slot in the opposite side of the casin 1, the projecting end 11 serving as a hand e whereby the lever 9 may be reciprocated and the pumping mechanism operated thereby.

v The bellows 2 is formed at its edges with an upstanding circumscribing wall 17 which, with the top wall of said bellows, forms a tray to contain the water discharging from the trough 16. The water inthe said tray is returned into the tank 2 through openings 18 and 19 in the frame 8 andl through lopenings 2O and 21 in the top wall of said tank, the respective openings 18 and 20 and 19 and 21 being in communication when the pump body 3 is raised away from the top wall ofthe tank 2.

The shaft of the mill wheel 14 is extended inwardly through the wall ofthe casing l and lwithin said casing carries a wheel 23 having free projecting spokes which act upon a weighted two-armed lever 24, the latter b e- PFA ra ing pivoted at a central point and carrying a hammer as 24a, which makes a tapping noise upon a supporting base as 24h in simulation of the tapping of a mill.

As previously stated, the 'invention also includes novel mechanism for indicating when the supply of water is low or exhausted and such mechanism includes a float, as 26, disposed in the tank 12 and carrying an upstanding spring arm 27 having an angular end. The arm 27 cooperates with a vertically disposed lever 28, which is carried by a roek shaft as 28"]L supported below the tank 12 said lever having an upper portion extended through a vertical channel provided in one of the end walls of said tank. rI`he lever 2S carries at its upper end an enlargement, as 29, which may be of ornamental character and may have a face formed thereon to represent the face of the miller. The rock shaft 28a also carries a depending arm having at its lower end a bell 30, which is sounded in a manner to be described by an arm 81 provided on the shaft of the wheel 14. As the level of the water in the tank 12 is lowered, the ioat 26 descends and when the supply is nearly exhausted the angular end of the spring arm 27 will engage the enlargement 2Q of the lever 28, thereby moving said lever to the dotted line position. In such position the face of the enlargement 29 will be exposed to view through a window or opening 32 formed in the wall of the casing 1, and the bell 30 on the lower end of the lever 2S will be moved into the path of the arm 31, which will ring the bell upon each revolution of the mill wheel 14.

In use, the lever 11 is pushed downwardly so as to compress the bellows 2 and effect a partial discharge of the contents of the latter into the pump body 3, and as the column of water in said pump body increases, it will rise through the tube 5 and will flow over the upper end of said tube into the tank 12 from which it passes to the trough 13 and iowing through the latter, operates the mill wheel 14 and the tapper 24. The water thus used, is returned from the tank 15 through the trough 16 into the tray 17 and from the latter back into the tank 2 through the openings 18, 19, 20 and 21.

The pump body 3 may be of any suitable outline but it is preferably of rectangular cross section in order that it may be erliciently guided in its vertical movement, it being understood that the frame S is also of rectangular cross section to conform to the outline of the pump body 3.

Having fully described our invention, we claim:

1. In a toy water mill of the type set forth, in combination, a casing, a water wheel supported eXteriorly thereof, a lower tank provided in said casing, an upper tank in said casing, a pumping mechanism between the lower tank and the upper tank for forcing water from the former into the latter, a third tank arranged below the water wheel, means for returning water from the third tank into the lower tank, and a trough leading from the upper tank and arranged to discharge water against the water wheel.

2. In a toy water mill of the type set forth, in combination, a casing, a water wheel arranged exteriorly thereof, a pumping mechanism within said casing for supplying water to the water wheel, a vibratory tapper and means operable by the water wheel for o per ating the tapper.

3. In a toy water mili of the type set forth, in combination, a casing, a water wheel arranged exteriorly thereof, a tank in said cas-l ing, a trough extending between said tank and said water wheel, means for supplying water to said tank, a float in said tank, a leve r provided at its lower end with a bell, an arm carried upon the shaft of the water wheel to ring the bell, and means associated with the float for engagement with the lever to move the latter whereby said bell will he brought into the path of said arm, the lever moving means having operation when the float is in a lowered position.

4. In a toy water mill of the type set forth, in combination, a casing, a lower tank in said casing in the form of a bellows, an upper tank in said casing, a water wheel arranged exteriorly of said casing, a trough extending between the upper tank and said water wheel to discharge water against the latter, a third tank arranged to receive the water from said water wheel, a pump body arranged above the lower tank and having eominunieation therewith, a check valve provided in said pump body and opening when the lower tank is compressed, a tube extending between the pump body and the upper tank to discharge water into the latter, means for reciprocating the pump body, the lower tank being provided with a circumscribing .flange which forms a tray, and a trough extending between the third tank and said tray and discharging into the latter, said tray having openings therein through which the water in the tray passes into the lower tank when the pump body is raised.

5. In a toy water mill ofthe type set forth, in combination, a ez sing, a water wheel snpported exteriorly thereof, a lower tank in said easing in the form of a bellows, an upper tank in said casing, a reciprocatory pump' body having communication with the lower tank and having a check valve which opens upon downward movement of said body, a tube extending between said body and the upper tank and discharging into the latter', springs for holding the pump body in an elevated position, a pivoted lever connected to the pump body for moving the latter downwardly against the tension of said springs,

and a trough between the upper tank and the play said visual indicator, and Water Wheel Water Wheel.

operated means for operating the sounding 6. In a toy Water mill of the type set forth, indicator. in combination, a casing, a Water Wheel arl In Witness whereof We have signed this 5 ranged exteriorly thereof, a tank in said casl specification in the presence of two Witnesses. 15

ing, means for supplying Water to said tank, JOSEF GAUBE. 10W Water indicator mechanism comprising a p RUDOLF GAUBE. member having a Visual indicator and having Witnesses:

a sounding indicator, float operated means PAUL ARRAs, 10 for operatively moving said member to dis- CLRE SIMON. 

